Re: [APML] Canon D20a pictures

[Chuck Vaughn <aa6g@aa6g.org>]

Jason,

I think you have it right.

> Hell, it's a better shot of M42 than I could ever do with my  
> Olympus in 7 minutes exposure.  I'm impressed.  Then again, my  
> standards just might be low.
>
> Cheers,
> Jason

For a test like this I'd ignore anything camera independent like  
guiding and optical quality and look at things like color and noise.  
The color looks pretty good to me but the noise is bad. But it's only  
3 exposures totaling 7 minutes. What camera of any kind can deliver a  
low noise image in only 7 minutes at f5.6? When I see 3 hours or more  
worth of exposures (like the CCDers are doing) then I'll evaluate  
noise.  And who knows what kind of image processing they did. I'll  
bet not much.

Maybe Canon didn't want to scare off potential buyers, many of whom  
probably would be inexperienced with astrophotography, by posting a  
20 x 5 minute exposure with a list of processing tools used. These  
images remind me of the first test shots done by Konica when Konica  
3200 came out, 1 and 2 minute Milky Way shots from a tripod. :-)

Remember the early "amazing" CCD images lauding what could be done  
with 5 and 10 minute exposures? You don't see those anymore!

I'm betting that an experienced astrophotographer can produce  
something much better than those test images with a 20Da.

Chuck
_______________________________________________
Astro-Photo mailing list
Astro-Photo@seds.org
http://seds.org/mailman/listinfo/astro-photo